Promise of the Heart
by a walking contradiction
Summary: The time comes when Draco’s heritage compels him to find his chosen mate. Looking into the family heirloom, the Veela Heart, he sees Harry Potter. [HarryVeela!Draco]


**Disclaimer**: Harry Potter characters and situations belong to JK Rowling and various publishers. No money is being made and no trademark infringement is intended.Also, I got some ideas from the novel "Bride Finder" by Susan Carroll. The idea of Veela!Draco came from "Magnetic Attraction" by Frizzy.

**Category**: Romance/Drama/Action

**Rating**:PG-13 for now. Rating will go up in the next chapter.

**Pairings**: HP/DM (main), RW/HG, and some DM/PP

**Warnings**: m/m, post-Hogwarts, post-Voldemort

**Spoilers**: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP.

**Summary**: The time comes when Draco's heritage compels him to find his chosen mate. Looking into the Veela Heart, he sees Harry Potter.

**Author's Notes**: This is unbeta'ed. Those who are interested in beta'ing the fic, please send me an e-mail.

Here it goes…

**PROMISE OF THE HEART**

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_**Prologue**_

_Fairy Tale_

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"…Over the hills and through woods so deep

The Maiden's robe lies concealed…"

"Mother? Can you tell me a story?"

The lovely blond woman smiled at her son and gently brushed her fingers through his soft hair. "Of course, sweetheart. Tell me, what do you want? A muggle fairy tale, or a wizarding legend?"

The child's brows puckered adorably. "I've had enough of muggle stories, Mum. Besides, Father loathes them. Although," the little frown etched deeper into the child's forehead, "I've had enough of wizarding legends, too."

Another gentle smile. "I see."

The boy looked at her mother with big, pleading eyes. "Can you tell me something else? Something… new?"

"I think I have just the right story for you. It is a muggle legend, but it happened in real life." The woman's eyes gleamed. "In fact, it happened to our family."

"Really?" The child's silvery eyes widened in surprised delight.

She nodded and resumed stroking her son's blond hair. "I think it would be better to start with the muggle legend first." She shifted her position in the four-poster bed until she was half-lying beside her son. Then she began.

"Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a poor peasant lived in a large town near a spring that was famous for its beauty and clear, soothing waters. On one particular day, he went to the spring and saw a very beautiful lady bathing alone. She was a celestial maiden."

The child's eyes were wide again. "He was peeping!"

The woman just smiled. "The man could not keep his eyes from the lovely vision. He had never seen such beauty before. Her long hair was like silver moonbeams, her skin was all white and rosy, and her voluptuous body was gleaming with a surreal light. Dazedly, he hid himself behind a pine tree to continue watching the celestial maiden."

"He was!"

"Hush!"

The child nodded and kept quiet.

"But a sudden glint from above the tree that hid him caught his eyes. When he looked up, he saw a shimmering cloth hanging from a branch of the tree. It was the maiden's robe—a mythical garment that was said to possess a celestial's powers and would enable her to fly to the heavens."

The little boy snorted. "Why not use a broom?" But when he saw his mother frown, he murmured contritely, "I'm sorry, Mum. Please continue."

"Well, consumed by his desire for the creature, he stole the robe and remained hidden until the maiden finished her bath and emerged from the spring. The celestial maiden then looked around for her robe only to find it gone from where she had left it. Unable to contain himself any longer, the peasant man left his hiding place and asked her to marry him. Since the maiden was ignorant of the land and was deprived of a way to go back to the heavens, she was compelled to accept the peasant's proposal."

She paused, but the child said nothing. "Years passed and the celestial brought great fortune to her husband. They had two children, and the celestial truly thought she could be happy. But every now and then, she would still catch herself missing her true home in the skies, and thus, she grew in longing to go back."

"One day, she overheard one of her children singing. To her utter joy, the song being sung revealed the location of her robe. The celestial was already weakening year by year from the loss of her robe; hence she eagerly searched for it deep in the woods. Upon finding it, she flew away and returned to the heavens, leaving her husband and her children behind. But before disappearing completely, she performed a dance for her family and bestowed eternal wealth upon them."

"So they didn't live 'happily ever after' after all?" asked the child.

The lady laughed. "Yes, they did not."

"Hmm. That was nice, for a muggle fairytale."

She hugged her son. "Of course it is. It happened to your ancestor."

The child looked at her mother excitedly. "What happened? Did my great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather also saw a celestial maiden and stole her robe and got turned down in the end?"

"No. But your great-great-great-great grandfather saw someone _and_ something else."

The child tilted his head to the right. "What did he saw?"

She kissed his forehead. "He saw a Veela and her Heart."

The child blinked in confusion. "What's a _Veela_?"

"The Veela, darling, is the most beautiful creature that ever existed in the wizarding world." The lady closed her eyes as if recollecting her memories, and then she began again. "It all started with a handsome young wizard who had left France to seek his fortune in the British Isles. His name was Alexandrius."

The child's eyes were wide once more. "Is he my great-great-great-great grandfather?"

"Yes, he is. Unfortunately, life in the British wizarding world was not as easy as young Alexandrius had at first thought, and despite his fine good looks and popularity with women (muggles and witches alike), no one would have him because he was penniless." The child tittered, making his mother smile again. "He eventually settled on a deserted house deep in the woods. He lived on hunting animals and drinking from the large lake behind his house."

"He _lived_ in the _woods_?" Came the astounded question.

The woman nodded. "But it seemed like luck was beginning to smile at young Alexandrius, because his good fortune came to him when he went to the lake one day. There, bathing lazily on the clear pool, blissfully unaware of her surroundings, was a Veela."

"He also peeped!"

"Hush!"

The child bit his lips in remorse.

"During that time, Veela were considered as the most expensive creature in the whole wizarding world. Their dance alone was considered an imperial entertainment, befitting only royalty. And the fact that they were so beautiful did not help at all. Many wizards wanted them, witches coveted them, and the Veela had no choice but to hide for their safety."

"Alexandrius stood entranced by the display of flesh of the alluring Veela. Like the peasant man in the legend, the sheer beauty of the creature equally enraptured him. He suddenly wanted to jump at the Veela and impress her, ravish her, do anything for her and give her anything she wanted. But he quickly got hold of himself and hid behind a big tree to furtively watch the Veela bathe in silence."

"What does ravish mean, mummy?"

The lady smiled again. "You will know when you grow up, sweetheart."

"Did he see a magical robe?"

"No, but he saw the Veela Heart."

"Gross! He saw the Veela's heart?"

"No, darling. The Veela Heart is a rose coloured crystal that is said to be the source of a Veela's power. A Veela cannot live long without it. Veela Hearts are the rarest jewel in the world. It is also a stone that brings fortune and good health to its bearer. Many had killed countless of Veela in the past until the Ministry prohibited it, but some would still kill for the stone. When Alexandrius saw it, it was hanging on a tree branch, glittering invitingly at him."

The child looked excited. "Then?"

"Well, it was the perfect opportunity for Alexandrius. He quickly grabbed the crystal and hid it inside his robes. An incredible sense of power filled him the moment he touched it. So much that when the Veela finished her bath and started searching for the crystal, he revealed himself to the Veela. He was too consumed with lust and the astounding power he held in his hands, so he forced himself to her."

The child seemed poised to ask another question, but thought better of it and kept quiet.

"They were married later, and without the charm of the Veela Heart, the Veela was passable enough for a normal witch. The Heart brought wealth and good fortune to young Alexandrius and his wife, and soon the couple had children. But it wasn't long before the Veela's health ebbed away, and she died not knowing that it was her husband who stole her life force."

"The beautiful Veela died?"

The lady nodded sadly. "Alexandrius, meanwhile, continued amassing wealth and power with the help of the Veela Heart. He never parted with the stone, and it became his family's priceless heirloom ever since. Over the centuries, the wizard's descendants, our family, prospered even more." She flicked a wayward fringe. "And that's the end."

The child frowned. "It's not the end, Mum, we're still alive."

"Yes, well, that's the end of the story."

A tiny smile lit the boy's face. "That was nice, Mum," he whispered. "I wonder where the Heart is… too bad the beautiful Veela had to die… that would mean she's my great-great-great-great-grandmother, right? Brilliant…" the child trailed off, yawning and blinking sleepily.

That invoked another soft laugh from the blonde woman.

"Sleep, baby…" she murmured.

The boy nodded. "Good night, Mum," said the blond boy, closing his eyes. He fell asleep in a moment. The woman rose from the bed and stared at her son, noticing how moonlight played on his features, masking him with a surrealistic gleam. For a long moment she stood there, as if in a trance, just looking. And then she bent down and kissed his forehead.

"Sweet dreams, Draco."

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To be continued…

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Still more Author's Notes: **

The Legend of the Celestial Maiden (or _Tenyo_) is an old Japanese tale. This is the version in Okinawa, but I added some ideas from the other versions.

The rating will go up next chapter.

This is my first Harry Potter fanfic. Be a darling and leave a review, okay? The fate of this fic lies in your hands…


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